Oonomoo the Huron | Page 7

will get her there, 'cause dey tried it
once--dat time, you remember, when we was all in de HUNTER'S
CABIN in de woods, and you came down de chimney, and I watched
and kept de Shawnee off."
The Huron signified that he remembered the circumstance well.
"Dem was great times," added Hans Vanderbum, calling up the
recollection of them. "I left de village one hot afternoon, and walked all
de way t'rough de woods to get to de cabin to help dem poor folks. We
had mighty hard times. I catched a cold and couldn't shtop my
dunderin' nose one night when it wanted to shneeze, and dat's de way
de Shawnee catched me. Twan't so bad arter all," added Hans
Vanderbum, musingly, "'cause if it wasn't for dat I wouldn't got my
Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock."
"How soon go back?" asked Oonomoo.
"To de village, do you mean?"
"Yeh."
"Any time afore noon will does, so Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock
gits de fish for our dinner."
"One, two hours," said the Huron, looking up at the sky, "den sun git
dere," pointing to the zenith. "Shawnees know here?"
"Know me here? Guesses not; don't care if dey does, nor dey doesn't

care neider."
"Shawnees won't come here?"
"No, no, Oonomoo, you needn't be afraid--"
"Afraid who?" demanded the Huron, with quick fierceness. "Oonomoo
never run afore one--two--t'ree--dozen Shawnees. He only runs when
dey comes like de leaves in de woods."
"Dey won't come like de leaves. If dey does, why you can leave too,
and I t'inks you know how to use dem legs dat you've got tacked onto
you. I t'inks you run as fast as me."
"So I t'inks," replied the Indian, with a grin.
"Dere's no mistake but dem Shawnees would like to get your scalp,
Oonomoo."
"Two--t'ree--hundreds--all Shawnees like to git Oonomoo's
scalp--nebber git him--Oonomee die in his lodge--scalp on his head,"
said the Huron, proudly.
"I hopes so; hopes I will, too."
The expression of the Indian's face was changed. It assumed a dark,
earnest appearance. He was done trifling, and wished to commence
business.
"See her dis mornin'?" he asked, in short, quick tones.
"See who?" asked Hans Vanderbum, in turn, completely at a loss to
understand him.
"De gal."
"De gal? Who you talking
about--Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock?"

"De gal Shawnees got in de village."
The Dutchman's blank expression showed that he did not comprehend
what the Huron was referring to; so he added, by way of explanation:
"Shawnees kill women and children--deir warriors squaws--don't fight
men--burn houses toder day--run off wid gal--got her now in de
village--she gal of Oonomoo's friend--Oonomoo want to get her."
From these rather disconnected expressions, Hans Vanderbum
understood that a war-party of Shawnees had brought in a prisoner who
was a friend of the Huron's. It was for the purpose of learning
something regarding her that he had signaled the fisherman to leave his
hook and line and come to him. The captive having reached the village
quite recently, he had failed to be apprised of it, so that Oonomoo
learned no more than he already knew regarding her.
"When did dey took her?" asked Hans Vanderbum.
"When sun dere, yisterday," replied the Indian, pointing off in the
western horizon.
"Do you want to know 'bout her?"
"Yeh."
"Den I goes find out."
So saying, Hans Vanderbum strode away through the forest in the
direction of the Shawnee village.
CHAPTER II.
OTHER CHARACTERS.
"He joys to scour the prairies wide, Upon the bison's trail; To pierce his
dark and shaggy hide With darts that never fail.
"His is the lion's strength in war, In peace, the lion's rest; And the eagle

hath not flown so far As his fame throughout the West."
Upon leaving the Huron, Hans Vanderbum hurried toward the village,
as rapidly as the peculiar structure of his body would allow. As has
been remarked, he was well acquainted with Oonomoo, knowing him
to be a faithful ally of his race. He was anxious, therefore, to show his
friendship to the savage. Down, too, somewhere in the huge heart of the
plethoric Dutchman, was a kindly feeling for the distress of a human
being, and he felt willing and anxious to befriend any hapless captive
that had fallen into the hands of the relentless Shawnees.
So absorbed was he in meditating, that he took no heed of his footsteps
until he was suddenly confronted by his spouse,
Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, who, flourishing a sort of hoe
over his head, demanded, or rather screeched:
"Where's your fish?"
Hans Vanderbum winked very rapidly, and putting his hands up over
his head, as if to protect it, "I forgots all about dem. I goes right back
and gots dem."
He wheeled around as he spoke, receiving a resounding whack from the
hoe, by way of a reminder, and went lumbering through